Birdcage
by DarkBlaze14
Summary: A little Shadikal drabble because this ship is great. Comes with complimentary metaphors.


Shadow's eyes fell heavy with disbelief as he peered out to the silhouette of a familiar landscape, thinly veiled by the darkness of night. He sat atop the stairs of Tikal's temple - a peaceful and relaxing position that he couldn't bring himself to enjoy. Unwanted thoughts pierced Shadow's mind, ripping through his conscience and demanding his attention. He was frozen by his feelings - feelings he had never before experienced, and had no idea how to express. Shadow had planned his exact words to convey these thoughts, and he felt as if they would explode from his chest if he made any sudden movement. He was but a prison cell to that python, and the inevitable was approaching fast. The hedgehog closed his eyes, attempting to focus on the breeze at his shoulders, the breath at his nose, the touch of his fingers at his knees - anything to keep his heart from racing.

Rouge had implored him to let it be, to release his thoughts to the only one who could help him. In trying to do so, Shadow found himself fighting himself even harder. If only he could speak as clearly to Tikal as he had to Rouge, he would finally be rid of this plague. What was this feeling? Embarrassment? Denial? Guilt? Shadow didn't have the patience to ponder. He considered leaving, and then visibly snarled at himself for considering such cowardice.

Shadow's back ached as much as his head, but he wouldn't dare move. He felt Tikal's presence. She hadn't said anything for quite some time, but he could feel her movements behind him. Shadow visualized Tikal's face illuminated by the moonlight, her flowing dreadlocks a galaxy, her eyes the only stars. He questioned how someone such as her could even be real. Even her most mundane actions made him internally gasp, as he was reminded they were on the same plane of existence. Whenever she looked to him, he looked away. Whenever she spoke to him, he lost his words. Perhaps he just wasn't comfortable in her presence yet, but he felt the true reason lied much deeper.

The hedgehog frowned. The only other emotion he could feel was an overwhelming sadness. The mountains shaping the horizon, the hills directing the grass, this vast emptiness of the temple - it was Tikal's home, and she could not leave. It reminded Shadow of his days on the ARK, when he would look out to the millions of stars in space, wondering if he would ever know life on the other side of that window. Of course, he had grown far more weary of his wishes since that time, but the parallels were evident. He knew Tikal's pain all too well. She had probably sat in his exact spot for countless nights before, etching the view into her brain, attempting to quell her desires to leave it behind forever.

Guilt. Guilt. That was it - guilt. Shadow wanted so badly to free Tikal from her duties, to show her a life outside her birdcage. How could he ever return to his world with the knowledge that she would be left here, trapped behind these pillars for eternity? It wasn't fair. Yet, in the same breath, he didn't want to rip her away from her destiny - the one thing she had set out her life to accomplish. After all, Tikal seemed content enough with her life as it was.

Suddenly, an audible ripple of water knicked Shadow's ear, likely from Chaos turning in for the night. A few soft steps followed, which grew louder at his back. Shadow braced shoulders, and then allowed himself to fall into a false slumber. Each night he stayed with her, Tikal had draped a blanket around his shoulders, and walked off to fall asleep elsewhere. If she left Shadow alone again, he would at least have an excuse to keep his thoughts to himself.

Shadow felt a warmth fall over him, and melted into it with a sigh, as he always did. He let his mouth hang open, and his breathing slowed. He waited to hear footsteps again, but they never came. Suddenly, the blanket compressed Shadow's arms, and his eyes fluttered open to find Tikal's hand locked around his chest. After he remained silent, he felt Tikal's head gently rest between his back quills.

"I know you're awake," Tikal confirmed with her inherently soft voice. "I wanted to say thank you."

Shadow didn't speak, but broke her embrace as he spun around to face her. Tikal stared back at him with a matching curiosity. Her appearance was everything he had imagined earlier, except that she had tied her hair in a ponytail, revealing her full face. Time seemed to slow; Shadow's heart pounded against his chest so hard that he was afraid it would become audible.

Tikal shifted on her knees. "Thank you for staying with me," she finally repeated, "I'm grateful for your company, even when we don't speak much."

Shadow swallowed hard. He shifted his eyes from Tikal to the floor, and then to his wringing hands. He took a deep breath. "I wanted you to know something," he bit his lip, "I… I enjoy staying here. With you. Err, not _because_ of you - or maybe it is. I don't know. Okay, fine, I do know." He winced, and glanced upward again to find that he still held Tikal's attention. "I haven't been happy in a very long time, but I'm happy when I'm here with you. I can't explain it, but you're… you're a very important person to me because of that. And I know you can't leave this place. So I'd…" Shadow found Tikal's wide, sparkling blue eyes once more. "I'd like to stay with you. I want to help you-"

Before he could utter another word, Tikal leaned forward, and pressed her lips to his. Although he was surprised, Shadow immediately fell into the gesture, closing his eyes and placing a hand on her cheek, as if it was the most natural movement he had ever made. For a moment, all the tension in Shadow's body escaped, only to rush back as soon as the echidna parted from him.

Tikal offered a sad smile, one that could only be produced by such a caged soul. "You have your own responsibilities, Shadow."

"I would leave them-"

"Do not consider it," the echidna urged, "you can visit me anytime."

"I don't want to leave you here alone. I _can't_. No one deserves to be this lonely."

"It's how I've lived for as long as I can remember," Tikal took Shadow's hands, "It makes me happy that someone cares enough to consider my well-being, but this is where I belong."

Shadow nodded, and was met with another tight embrace. This time, he gently placed his arms around her back, and allowed her to pull him so that their chests touched. An intimate confession followed another deep, cleansing breath. "_I think this is love."_

* * *

**a/n: **

**me, in the background of this scene chewing on popcorn: "y'all good?"**


End file.
